Bringing rotational tools to bear on a workpiece may be a known technique for working materials. One such process may involve friction welding, which may be described as a class of solid-state welding processes that generate heat through mechanical friction generated by relative movement of a workpiece and a tool or other component. Axial force may be employed to increase pressure between the workpiece and the tool to enhance generation of friction heat between the workpiece and the tool.
Another example of using friction between a workpiece and a tool to effect a welding process may be inertial plug welding. Inertial plug welding may involve pushing and rotating a plug against a workpiece to generate friction. The plug may be expended during the process as a welding material used to effect the welding process.
Existing apparatuses for effecting welding such as inertial plug welding may use hydraulic motors and hydraulic rams to provide torque and pressure to a process head holding a plug. Such existing apparatuses may be too heavy to be carried on an affordable robot arm. Among other things, the hydraulic hoses and hydraulic fluid required by the existing apparatuses may make the apparatus heavy. A robot arm may have to be very massive and expensive to properly support such an existing hydraulic-based apparatus.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for bearing a tool against a workpiece that can effect friction welding on a mobile platform such as a lightweight robot arm.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for bearing a tool against a workpiece that can effect inertial plug welding on a mobile platform such as a lightweight robot arm.